Daniel Thomas : Newspaper writings

"TELEGRAPH" Sydney, N.S.W. 10 MAR 1913 :The Week in Art by Daniel Thomas JOHN' OLSEN'S exhibition at the Terry Clune Gallery must surely be the main) event of the week. Perhaps it will even turn! out to be one of the most imnortant ex- hibitions of the year, as did his previous shows. in 1960 and 1958. But, being in Mel- bourne this week, I have not seen the ex- hibition. In any case It would be difficult to write objectively about an exhibition which includes a picture that I have bought for my- self. Instead I can only confem that if you are in love with Sydney's turbulence, there must be very few pictures that have so success- fully expressed the quality of life in a Woolloontooloo p u b after work as "6.30 at the Fitzroy"; cheerful drinking, streaming city traf- fic, nit awareness of full of humanity and con- venation. And although the painting may be ab- stract on first sight, there are in fact recognisable men equipped with hats and cigarettes. there tire animals and clocks within these pictures. Such work makes nonsense of any clear distinction between abstract and figurative art, well be something like this. where recognisable images reinforce a powerful for- mal conception. There is a world of difference be- tween such confident as- surance and the timtdities of semi -abstract art. Not that Olsen only has one theme, as Hodgklnson did last week in his erotic affair with Mother Earth. Oiseit's '11.30 at the Fitz- roy" sums up a whole series of city pictures, of which the best is perhaps the "People who live in Victoria Street" of 1960, But if he lives some- where else, then the pic- tures are different too. Last September In Hill End he produced a number of grey bualt laud pictures; over the past few '7nouths he has lived on a farm In rich dairy farming coun- try. and the majority of the new pictures reflect . green the landforni (the colour and lyrical move - bay at.d the valley of ment tether titan the hec- Woolloomooloo the tiC linearism of his city steep hill of Kings subject'''. For anyone infatu- ated with Sydney how dull tl:e flatlands of Melbourne can seem after the tumbling hills, how fatally lost is any sense of togeth- erness in Melbourne's absurdly wide streets. Whatever p 1 e a sures there are at the end of a journey within Melbourne, what a vacuum in o;te's life Is the journe, itself; one cannot even talk 'there win be two ne- in the street above the Misfile° prizes of £100 noise of the trams. eacatni,k rdooxnatiecdi urrbyGeoMr. r. Olsen's city pictures are 13loomfield. hi One Is for YOUNG PAINTERS The Contemporary Art Society's current exhibi- tion at David Jones will be described next week. Although I have said before that the Soclety'a own broadsheet and the notice board at the Art Gallery of N.S.W. are the proper places fur notifying artists of new competitions, it might be worth men- tioning the CAB's "Young Painters' Exhibition" In ease the young artists are not familiar with the nor- mal information services. many Inquiries about classes in art appreciation. Mary White. the interior decorator. conducts an intensive quick course. Mrs. Dora Sweetapple arranges guided tours Sydney exhibit ions for strictly limited numbers; telephone F82198. The University of Syd- ney In conjunction with the WEA, besides practical art, has two courses at 32/6 each of 18 weekly lec- tures; "Appreciation of Art,' by -Allen David twhicu. began last week) and "Renaissance Art," by Mrs. M. I. Bardwell, which will begin next week. In- quiries, telephone BX2222. The Art Gallery Society (telephone BW1656. and the Contemporary Art Society (write c o 33 Rowe Street' have monthly lec- tures, discussions or films on vs.Ious subjects. ART NEWS There are mole publi- catiotu regulariy appear- ing on Australian art than is generally realised. The Sydney, Adelaide and Perth Galleries all have illustrated quarter- lies at 2/ each which illus- trate a great many ex- amples of Australian art. The latest Sydney issue includes a newly acquired Dobeli of the greatest im- portance, and one of Blackman's very best paintings; Perth has just begun covers in full color, and the January Issue il- lustrates one of Michael Shannon's cityscapes. Also front Perth. the latest issue of "Westerly," a literary magazine pub- lished by the University of WA., has, in its lat- est Issue, a detailed docu- mentary article on 12 W.A. artists, with accompanying illustrations, and an ex- tremely interesting account of the strange Roman- esque Church architecture of Mgr. J. C. Hawes, de- signed between the wars. The 1962 Annual Bulle- tin of the National Gal - and Olsea s special Maniac- lery of Victoria equals four sites at present in Aus- 1 ART APPRECIATION Sydney or Adelaide Gallery tmlian palatine is that he 1 quarterlies in size, but has has been right through a small number of longer abstraction and come out The numerous painting scholarly articles on their the other side. schools in Sydney are old master paintings and Post -abstract art may well known, but there are drawings. A magazine mentioned some months ago 'was the luxurious special issue of the University of Texas LONDON, Sat.-The president of 20th Cen- f2ruuttiratuerlycutvg.ed ,trohstns tury Fox films, Darryl F. Zonuck, announced in now available 7/6. in all local London today a programme of 24 new films okshops (1 distribu- ted by Jacaranda'. The costing £30 million. - article by Elwyn Lynn on Painting and Sculpture Il- lustrates the work of such artists as Peter Upward and the Imitation Real- ists, which is not avail able elsewhere. artists aged 24-30. the other for 23 and under. CAS membership is not necessary. This is an admirable venture aiming to un- earth hidden talent and to encourage adventurous- ness. Sending-in day, April 4; entry forms from CAS, c 'o 33 Rowe Street, Sydney. BIG FILMS PLANNED They include: "The Last Days of Hitler," to be given the same treatment as "The Longest Day," which is currently running In London, This will be retitled "The Last 24 Hours" and shot on location in Berlin and Munich. "High Wind In Jamai- ca" the Richard Hughes classic to be produced in London and the Carib- bean. "Thit tiss Lunt. ganger. Aar InutA Au thong Quinn and have location in Yugoslavia. vihroture In My Rags" by Phllis Hastings. with ()cation work in Scotland, WHAT'S ON TODAY AND MKT WICK Art eatery et 14.S.W-oornsmmt eons:tie, W. 3540.1 do.!11,1 aro., ,oi 4/ Omnts r.om Dirsttnr's trofeci.on 514 103 [(Hew 511. ftd. Id., ddrtlillt -Petters. painting, jrrellsti. ALL MIXT Wetn Clust-doh- Olsen. H endry Iforse.-4.snk HodstMson K etIdetralas's.-Eastmt 541nisturs An 0.1d Jnss.-Contstsporsry An 5004ny 1/1Mintsd,-.5Isstod from Wynn. and &Omen I,TPS "44017. 1:::41:=27e El..,,relau from Ar<nlb4d, Wynn. Pd 541000 **Pott343.3. OPINING VIECINII5DAY .--10,v!...!elyeront ,p3xL1. Frmsnan1s (Ad Cesrie St.).-LNIII C3r,11,11 1111.311.0. -3 .13tir3,r, L